Where To Dive Without Sinking a Lot of Money
by K.C. Summers
Washington Post March 7, 2010 p.F3

Life is all about making choices, and
that goes double in the Caribbean. Or triple. Zach Husid and Kelly
Vaughan, a scuba-diving, beach-loving, all-inclusive-resort-craving
couple, have some decisions to make.

You can have world-class diving. You can have the gorgeous beach.
You can even stay in an upscale all-inclusive on a tight budget.

You just can't have all three at once.

Bonaire, for example, is widely considered the best dive destination
in the Caribbean, but if you're looking for miles of white-sand
beaches, forget it. Turks and Caicos, another highly regarded dive
spot, has a laid-back vibe and pretty beaches, but you'd have to scale
back considerably on lodging to stay within your budget.

Mexico's Cozumel boasts a winning combo of fantastic dive sites and
more affordable all-inclusives, but the island isn't particularly known
for its beaches. And in the Dominican Republic's Punta Cana, you can
have your pick of fancy oceanfront resorts at affordable prices, but
the diving isn't as dramatic.

Turks and Caicos. The island chain of Turks and
Caicos, a British territory about 40 miles south of the Bahamas, has
one of the longest coral reefs in the world — and you know what that
means. The PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) Travel
Network, which offers dive trips throughout the world (800-729-7234, padi.com), ranks it among the top five most popular scuba destinations in the Caribbean.

The islands are an ocean plateau with offshore depths of up to 6,000
feet, and the dramatic combination of reef and wall diving results in
dense concentrations of animal and plant life: corals and sponges,
small tropical fish and large fish such as reef sharks, groupers and
barracudas. As for beaches, Grace Bay on the island of Providenciales
is consistently ranked one of the world's prettiest strands.

The all-inclusive Club Med Turkoise on the island of Providenciales (888-WEB-CLUB, clubmed.us)
is a popular lodging option. It offers a package deal from Washington,
but its rate for two people for four nights — including round-trip air,
airport transfers, all meals and drinks, a range of sports, activities
and entertainment and all taxes and gratuities — is $3,105 for two,
well outside your budget.

Instead, consider booking your flight independently and staying at a
smaller place. For example, the 37-room Osprey Beach Hotel on Grand
Turk Island (649-946-2666, ospreybeachhotel.com),
with a beachside pool and on-site bar and restaurant, has double rooms
in mid-May starting at $150 a night, including taxes. The hotel books
scuba excursions starting at $75 a day.

Cozumel. This 185-square-mile island off the
Yucatan peninsula is a magnet for divers from around the world and
offers a wide variety of lodgings.

With its dazzling chain of coral reefs, it's one of the world's top
five dive destinations, said Christine Grange, executive director of
PADI Travel Network. "The names of some of these dive sites are
hallowed in divers' logbooks: Palancar Reef, Colombia Reef, Santa Rosa
Wall," she said. "The currents carry you along dramatic drop-offs, and
there's great quality as far as visibility and sea life."

A large part of Cozumel's appeal is that there's a real there there.

There's plenty of shopping, if you're into that, but it's also fun
just to walk along the pretty sea wall and to check out the zocalo, or
plaza, downtown. It's the place to be on Sunday nights for locals and
visitors alike. Biking is a good way to get around, or you can rent a
car to explore outlying villages. And save at least a day to explore
the mysterious Mayan ruins in the area, including San Gervasio
(reachable by taxi), Tulum, Xel-Ha and Chichen Itza.

Accommodations range from guesthouses to oceanfront villa rentals to all-inclusives. Funjet (888-558-6654, funjet.com),
for example, has a four-night deal at the Melia Cozumel All Inclusive
Beach Resort for $748 per person, including round-trip air from
Washington, hotel, all meals and beverages and most taxes and
gratuities. Total for two: $1,495.

Punta Cana. The resort area of Punta Cana on the
island of Hispaniola is better known for its beaches, golf courses and
miles of all-inclusive resorts than its diving. But casual divers and
beginners can keep busy at the more than 20 scuba sites, which are
especially appealing because of the shallow waters and plentiful
barrier reefs right offshore.

Excursions to Catalina and Saona islands, from dive centers that are
about a two-hour drive from the resort area, appeal to experienced
divers, too, with sightings of turtles, whales, sharks and other big
fish. There are even a few shipwrecks to explore.

Apple Vacations (800-517-2000, applevacations.com)
has a four-night air-hotel package at the upscale Iberostar Punta Cana
on Bavaro Beach at $752 per person, for a total of $1,793, including
taxes and gratuities. The resort has multiple swimming pools, a disco,
a casino, bars and restaurants. Cost includes round-trip air from
Washington, airport transfers, all meals and drinks and more.

Or put together your own package. At the all-inclusive VIK Hotel Arena Blanca (888-774-0040, vikpuntacana.com),
a four-day stay in an oceanfront suite runs $272 per person, for a
total of $544, including taxes and gratuities. Cost includes all meals,
unlimited drinks, non-motorized water sports and more. Booking the air
separately, the fare would be about $385, including taxes, for a total
of $1,314. That gives you plenty left over for dive excursions.

Where: All inclusive resort in the Caribbean
Why: Romantic Getaway, with an emphasis on Diving
When: Five or six days in May
Budget: $1,500 to $2,000